Background
The Estate of Ceasar Stinson was the plaintiff-appellee in an appeal brought by defendant-appellant Joel Streicher from the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. The district-court case was assigned to Judge J.P. Stadtmueller.
On October 14, 2026, the Seventh Circuit issued an opinion in the appeal. One week later, the court entered this order amending that opinion.
The Court’s Holding
The Seventh Circuit corrected the appellee’s name in the caption and on pages 2 and 4 of its earlier opinion so that it reads “Ceasar Stinson.”
The court also corrected a sentence on page 2 to state that an automobile accident caused by a law-enforcement officer is not actionable as a due-process violation unless the officer’s conduct was so egregious that it shocks the conscience. The order made no other identified changes and did not independently alter or restate the earlier opinion’s disposition.
Key Takeaways
- The order amended the Seventh Circuit’s October 14, 2026 opinion.
- The court corrected the spelling of Ceasar Stinson’s name in three locations.
- The amended language states that a law-enforcement officer’s automobile accident violates due process only if the officer’s conduct was so egregious that it shocks the conscience.
Why It Matters
The order ensures that the opinion accurately identifies the appellee and precisely states the constitutional threshold applicable to automobile accidents caused by law-enforcement officers. That demanding “shocks the conscience” standard distinguishes ordinary accident claims from conduct actionable as a due-process violation.